Do atheist farmers exist?

Ah everytime I visit a farmers market there seems to be two types of farmers. The ultra christian or the extreme new ager. I've never met anything in between. Sometimes I think I've met one that may seem to at least be relaxed in the religious department but then I hear statements such as "I prayed and we had a good harvest!" (So God would happily let people starve or your crops to fail so that corporations can make all the profit from food?) "My daughter and I are going to a purity ball!" " The world today is so immoral!" "I send positive energy waves into this batch!" "I've put my essense and love into the food." (When I heard that I couldn't help but imagine them scraping dead skin cells off their hand into the food) "I'm a witch I know plants well." (Do you have an invisibility cloak for sale?)

And of course, homophobia.

I did stop buying from one farmer after I over heard him say to someone something along the lines of "if a girl doesn't want to be raped, she shouldn't dress slutty." Yeah that's where I absolutely draw the line. They aren't getting my business.

So anyone know any atheist or at least secular farmers? Do they exist?

Comments (11)

You know, I haven't come across a secular farm either. This summer, I took DD strawberry and pea picking at one farm...they were clearly Mennonite. They were very nice and accomodating people, so we will go back next year...plus, their homemade sourdough bread was fantastic. We went to another farm to pick raspberries and they were clearly some kind of Christian...again, they were very nice and I've gone to that one for a couple years now.

I will say that in the middle of this political season, a greenhouse where I bought my herbs from has a Romney sign...religious or not, they got the last of my business in June.

I call myself the suburban farmer I have a 25'x20' veggie garden and usually grow enough tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, peppers, and a couple other veggies to get us by without having to but a lot all year...as a joke with my DH this past season, I placed a few handfuls of uncooked pasta around the garden as him and I both "prayed" to the Flying Spaghetti Monster for a good crop...of course, ending with "r'amen." I'm glad the neighbors weren't around because we ended up laughing hysterically!

I worked on a small truck farm in northern CA. We were all atheists. A lot of our fellows at the local farmers markets were the new agey type. I think it depends a lot on what part of the country you're in.

I don't see or hear any religious stuff and only a little new agey stuff (and relatively on the tame side even then) from any of the farmers at the one we go to. They're mostly young environmentalist types, which I'm all for.

this is exactly why I won't move away from the city. my mom tries to convince me the smaller class sizes are worth it, but rural communities tend to be very religious and right wing. except california. and maybe in some areas of the northeast too.

another pet peeve of mine: new agers who assume that I am 'alternative' spirituality because of my appearance and speak to me as their companion believer before they even know me. and then instead of answering a simple question, I gotta correct their assumptions.

I'm one! I grew up on a farm and have a small farm myself now... a cow, goats, chickens, and lots of veggies! But I hear you all. I do encounter lots of the new ager types and the religious types in the farm industry. In this area, the religious types are mostly older and aren't pushy about any of the religion stuff. It doesn't really come up in conversation anyway. I just know not to talk politics or things like that with any of them. They're otherwise kind, friendly, and humble. The new agers around here are the ones that drive me nuts actually. They're kinda snooty/yuppie/annoying and treat every farm and cooking thing as if they invented it.

I'm also one! Though we're currently living in town, my goal for the next 3 years or so is to buy some acreage and start a smallish self sustainable farm with a little bit of everything. We are out there, I promise! You just have to look a bit harder.

We aren't farmers but live in a very small rural town with lots of farmers of all stripes. We are atheist homesteaders and have an alpaca fiber and manure business. We know some atheist farmers, it really is a mix around here. The neat thing about a community like this is even though it leans right with a very conservative bent, I also know in case of zombie apocalypse everyone would take care of each other :)

I think it depends on the area. Many of the farmers here are immigrant families or people who have had farms in their families for generations (I live in Minnesota, lots of farmland) and aren't particularly more or less religious than others.